Courses, Workshops, Education
Workshops and Events for 2010
WILD FOOD RAMBLES AND WORKSHOPS
Led by Margaret Lear, Plants with Purpose
FORAGING IN SPRING!
There will be a Forager's Ramble on May 29th near Perth. Meet at 10am at the Bertha Park Woods car park, which is near the Inveralmond roundabout. We will give further directions when you book. Length of walk approximately 3 hours, pace easy with lots of stops to pore over plants and things! Bring a basket, boots and anything you want to record information (an information sheet will be given). We usually go for a pub/cafe lunch after in the vicinity where we can continue to discuss (optional and not in price of course).
Adults: £10
Children, students and concessions: £5
FRUIT AND FUNGI FORAGERS' WALK & WORKSHOP
This will take place in October (date and venue to be confirmed). Off-road walking in rough woods and
fields in the morning, once again, an easy pace but be prepared for wet conditions and uneven ground. Break for lunch, then an afternoon workshop to look at identification of fungi, using and preserving wild produce, finishing around 4.30pm.
£35 per person, walk only £10, workshop only £30
THE AFTERNOON WORKSHOP IS NOT SUITABLE FOR CHILDREN UNDER 14.
ORCHARD AND FRUIT TREE WORKSHOPS
These workshops will run inconjunction with Tayside Biodiversity Partnership and/or Carse of Gowrie Historic Orchards Group and are led by Andrew Lear (Appletreeman) and/or Margaret Lear (Plants with Purpose) ALL £15 PER PERSON UNLESS STATED.
8th May 2010 BEES, TREES, FLOWERS AND FRUIT
Learn about the biology of pollination, how to attract and manage pollinating insects, with reference to orchards. From 10am to 1.30pm, at Errol Community Hall, Errol, Perthshire (and nearby gardens and orchards). This workshop will be partly hands on, and the cost includes light refreshments. Led by Margaret Lear, this workshop is part of the Tayside Biodiversity Festival - bookings are made through the Partnership but can be forwarded by us.
Cost: £15
BEES TREES FLOWERS AND FRUIT WILL REPEAT ON 22ND MAY AT THE ATHOLL PALACE HOTEL GARDEN IN PITLOCHRY
7th August 2010 BUDDING OF FRUIT TREES
Led by the appletreeman, Andrew Lear, (www.appletreeman.co.uk) in association with Tayside Biodiversity Partnership, this half day workshop covers theory of budding and a hands-on practical using field-grown plants. Bring a pruning knife if you have one, and a shoot of a tree you wish to bud. Venue to be advised on booking. Limited numbers.
16th August 2010 PLUM IDENTIFICATION EVENING
Led by the appletreeman, Andrew Lear, (www.appletreeman.co.uk) in association with Tayside Biodiversity Partnership, this s your chance to bring some plums and damsons and spend the evening 6.30-9pm with books and guides to identify the fruit. A visit to a plum orchard with 20 varieties will be included.
Cost: £5
12th September 2010 ORCHARDS & PEARS OF PERTHSHIRE
Led by the appletreeman, Andrew Lear, (www.appletreeman.co.uk) in association with Tayside Biodiversity Partnership, this short stroll the the Carse of Gowrie orchard history, with emphasis on pears lasts from 2 -5pm.
More info on booking.
Talks and Services to Interest Groups/organisations
If there’s one thing I like as much as growing and selling useful plants its talking about them. Formal lectures are not my style, and I can guarantee an interactive and informative experience with as much chance as the topic allows for hands on activity and audience participation. If your organisation would like to arrange a talk, demonstration or workshop, here are some of the topics I speak on regularly:
- Subversive Herbs – amazing and forgotten uses for overlooked plants
- Gardening for Wildlife – and just what wildlife were you wanting!?
- Designing a Container Garden and
The Edible Container Garden
- A Taste of Honey – The role of Honeybees in our gardens
- Pondering Pollination – the fantastic relationship between flowers and bees
- Dancing in the Dark - 25 Incredible Things about Honeybees – guaranteed to astonish)
- Waste not, Want not – composting, recycling and why we need worms in the garden)
- Organic Gardening and Growing (any aspect you like)
- The Magic of Trees – an illustrated talk on the beauty and folklore of our woodlands
I am also obviously more than happy to speak about any aspect of herbs in cultivation, design, cooking and eating, harvest and preservation etc.
Fees: £25 standard rate per evening / 1 hour talk+question time; plus expenses which will vary according to distance.
Journalism
I write regularly for special interest publications and gardening magazines. Contact me if I can help you.
AND FINALLY for the SERIOUS foragers among you......
Are you up for a 5 day "Fungi and Food" trip to Southern Bohemia? If there is enough demand (minimum 10), we will organise an autumn break in conjunction with our friends at Avanti Travel (www.avantitravel.cz) of Bechyne in the Czech republic, to explore the truly awesome fungi-filled woods of Bohemia, sample the product, and, like St. Vaclav in the carol, gather winter fuel..... optional excursions, fabulous beer, and the best foraging we have come across at any rate. This is at the pipeline stage but if you might be interested DO LET US KNOW!! we will put you on the mailing list and send more details when we have them
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